THE VAULT: MUSIC LEGENDS

Jen G’s Music View

Dear Friends,

I have so much respect for Bonafide and Coffee of GRITS because I started listening to them back when I was separating my heart from all the secular music I was putting in. They gave me a sound that I thought I would lose, and a message of hope I could relate to. To me, they are what rap should be in every market.

They have the edge, the lyrics, and the spirit that drive you to listen to the words while continuously feeling their beats.

God has given them a gift to appeal to a broad audience in this generation.

In 2002, they sold over 100,000 records with their album The Art of Translation. They have shared the stage with OutKast, Jay-Z, Nappy Roots, Ice Cube, and have been praised by some of the leading music magazines like Billboard, Vibe, The Source, XXL, and more!

GRITS are the crème de la crème, and I am honored to have them featured in AWOE Magazine.

If you’re not familiar with GRITS, their latest album, 7, is a collection of some of the hottest songs in their career. After you hear 7, you’ll want them all, but until then, you have my interview with GRITS…

Jen G’s~

Publisher & Editor of AWOE Magazine

JEN G: What, over the years, has made GRITS stick together like that? What do you guys value about each other?

GRITS: True friendship. We know the good, the bad, and the ugly about each other. Real friends can see each other make mistakes and still hold the same respect in the morning. That’s something you don’t find from most Christians, let alone people in general.

“The reality of who God is began to come into play as life began to happen.”  GRITS

JEN G: I have to ask, how did GRITS’ “Ooh Ahh,” featuring TobyMac, end up on the Big Momma’s House soundtrack?

GRITS: That was our film and television agency in L.A. They do more than a wonderful job for us.

JEN G: On the flip side, I want to know about the Tennessee Bowoys, Teron Carter, and Stacey Jones before you guys became MTV, bestselling, Dove Award-winning maestros Bonafide and Coffee. What in your history made you two crave God and share His realness in such an unconventional way?

GRITS: Basically, we both were raised at an early age in the church, so the knowledge of God and what He requires from us has been embedded in our minds and hearts for a long time. With that in mind, you can see how, as we both came into manhood, the reality of who God is began to come into play as life began to happen. Getting out on our own, beginning and ending relationships, and facing the realities of life from a worldly point of view versus a Kingdom point of view.

JEN G: The Word says that iron sharpens iron. To me, that’s the perfect description of what GRITS represents. Lyrically and creatively, you guys maximize the spiritual hip-hop rap experience. I want to know, how do you empower each other in the studio and in the process of creating music the way you two do?

GRITS: We are just honest with each other when it comes to creativity and business. We’ve had a lot of misses that will never see the light of day, but because of our passion for the music and people, we expect nothing less than the best from one another.

“Real friends can see each other make mistakes and still hold the same respect in the morning.” GRITS

JEN G: What, over the years, has made GRITS stick together like that? What do you guys value about each other?

GRITS: True friendship. We know the good, the bad, and the ugly about each other. Real friends can see each other make mistakes and still hold the same respect in the morning. That’s something you don’t find from most Christians, let alone people in general.

JEN G: When you’re touring, how do you guys stay spiritually grounded? Do you pray and study the Bible while you’re on the road?

GRITS: Yes, we try to do our best to have some kind of outlet on the road because we are gone so much, whether that be through messages on CD, Bible study tools, or just plain getting in the Word together.

JEN G: Through the years, has there been an instance where you heard a testimony that made you feel like that’s what it’s all about?

GRITS: Actually, I’ll never forget when we did a show at a club in Atlanta. When we were done, a guy came up to me and was like, “Man, it must have been God to have y’all here because I’ve been struggling with my walk and was about to leave the faith, but seeing and hearing y’all convicted me, and I know it’s time to get my life back together.”

JEN G: What would you say to that person who has come to the end of their road, who has given up hope, who thinks no one loves them and no one will miss them? If you could lead them to Christ right now, what would you say?

GRITS: It’s not over. Sometimes, as a parent, you have to let your kids exhaust all their options before you can help them. It’s the only way they will be fully receptive to what it is you are trying to teach them because, as long as they think they have an answer, the parents don’t matter.

Rock bottom is actually a great place to be because you are more open to what isn’t the norm, and a lot of times, that’s how God gets to us. He is that parent, and you are His child.

All things GRITS: http://Official Grits Instagram